If you want a successful smile and oral health, you need to keep up on oral hygiene, visit your dentist regularly, and have a healthy diet. Little did you know, it’s also beneficial to avoid tooth-harming habits. That way there is a small chance you’ll experience a dental injury, like a chipped or even knocked-out tooth. In fact, Dr. Rai and our dental team strongly recommend avoiding tooth-harming habits as much as possible.
The first habit to avoid is chewing on ice. This habit is harmful because the brittleness and cold temperature of the ice can encourage your teeth to fracture and break. The ice cubes tend to cause microscopic fractures in the tooth, which later lead to major cracks and damage in the future.
The second habit to avoid is using your teeth as tools. This habit is harmful because the pressure can be hard on your chompers. The pressure oftentimes traumatizes the teeth and creates fractures. When we say using teeth as tools, we mean using them to open things, like a bag of chips, a package, or a container, and even rip off tags from clothing and other products.
The third habit to avoid is grinding your teeth. Oftentimes this habit occurs at night while you sleep, so it’s hard to tell if you even grind your teeth. Sometimes your sleeping partner will notice and tell you. Or you’ll find out by noticing you have worn-down and fragile teeth. To avoid grinding your teeth, it’s best to wear a mouthguard, take relaxation classes, avoid drinking coffee and use relaxation techniques.
If you have any questions about tooth-harming habits in Stafford, Virginia, our dental team at Rai Family Dentistry is here to help you! All you need to do is dial 540-657-0867 and we will be thrilled to talk with you and give you the answers you’re looking for.